While history and movie theaters are filled with fantastic tales of
prison breaks, there exists a rare category of prison break-ins.

Jo Ann Gordon's tale is one about a stubborn battle to break into the
male-dominated ranks of prison guards. She battled her way inside prison
walls and up through the ranks of the California Department of Corrections
in an era when female prison guards faced discrimination on top of the
dangers inherent to the job.

This week, Gordon, 56, will officially retire as the warden at Norco's
California Rehabilitation Center and one of the most senior wardens in
the state.

Friday, old friends and ranking prison officials throughout the state
will gather to celebrate Gordon's 30 years of often groundbreaking work
in California prisons.

"Without her in the department, there is going to be a big void," said
David Tristan, retired chief deputy director of the California Department
of Corrections. "She was a pioneer for women in corrections working in
men's institutions, and she's also been a staunch advocate for drug- and
alcohol-treatment programs for both men and women."

As warden at the California Rehabilitation Center, a 6,064-inmate medium
security prison housing men and women, Gordon helped shape the facility
into the nation's largest substance-abuse program. Under her leadership,
the prison's substance-abuse treatment program grew from 88 beds to 1,626.

Never an Easy Career

However, her ascension through the ranks of the corrections system didn't
come easily.

When Gordon, a native of Watts, first applied in the early 1970s to
work as a prison guard, she was told not to bother. The department, its
recruiters and other guards openly doubted a woman's ability to handle
the state's most violent inmates, including men convicted of rape and murder.

But Gordon, a single working mother with a stubborn streak, wasn't about
to let anyone tell her what she can and can't do.

"I remember that it was a Saturday in May - there are certain moments
in your life that you never forget - and I was at Chino High School testing
to become a corrections officer," said Gordon. "They singled out the women
in the room and said, 'You can take the test, but you will not get the
job.' Well, that made me mad."

She applied three times until she was finally hired at the California
Rehabilitation Center, the same place she would wind up at the end of a
long career that included work at the California Institute for Men, the
California Institute for Women and department headquarters.

Though rewarding, hers was never an easy career. Gordon battled discrimination,
sexism and danger to become a pioneer among female correctional officers.

"I don't remember what happened that first day, but I know I was scared,"
said Gordon. "I didn't know what I had gotten myself into."

In many ways, it was an uphill battle for her, said Tristan.

"She faced a lot of resistance. She faced a lot of ridicule," he said.
"There were a lot of people counting on her to fail."

Even as Gordon made inroads with her coworkers, she still faced threats
from inmates.

Years ago, when she worked as a corrections officer in a prison for
men, a black inmate raped a white nurse at the prison. In retaliation,
inmates involved in a white-power gang pledged to attack Gordon because
she was the prison's highest-ranking black female officer, she said.

"The lieutenant pulled me into his office to tell me I couldn't go into
the yard because of the threat," she said. "I was very hot about it at
the time. There was no way I was going to let inmates tell me where I can
work."

Challenges, Successes

Despite the challenges of breaking into a traditionally male-dominated
field and the critics that dogged her, Gordon was appointed warden seven
years ago at the Norco facility.

A social worker at heart, it was Norco's substance-abuse program that
gave Gordon her chance to shine.

"She treated inmates with professionalism and compassion before it was
in vogue, and she advocated treatment programs before treatment was in
vogue," said Tristan. "She had a huge impact on (the California Rehabilitation
Center's) treatment program."

In recent years, the job has had its share of trials. Gordon faced and
was cleared of accusations of discrimination. She lost a $100,000 lawsuit
involving the wrongful termination of a former employee who said he was
fired for reporting wrongdoings within the prison. That case is on appeal.

During last year's budget crisis, the state threatened to close down
the prison

Eligible for full retirement more than a year ago, Gordon stayed on
at the prison in the wake of the threat of closure to convince state officials
that the Norco prison is one of the best in the state with a low 18 percent
recidivism rate among inmates who complete the substance-abuse program.

"She's been working for the last year essentially without pay (beyond
her employment salary)," said California Rehabilitation Center Lt. Tim
Shirlock. "She stayed on to fight for the prison and the staff. We all
love her. There are so many people she has influenced."

The state has rescinded plans to close the prison, allowing Gordon to
retire without having to worry about the fate of her staff and the prison.
She plans to keep busy publishing a book of inspirational short stories
from her experience inside prison walls.

"I am grateful to have had this experience," she said. "It hasn't all
been good, but I've learned from all of it, and I wouldn't change it for
the world."

Inmates say prison is making them illH. PYLORI: Twenty are found to suffer from the bacterium, which can
lead to ulcers and cancer.

07:56 AM PDT on Wednesday, August 4, 2004

Silvia Flores / The Press-Enterprise
"We came to prison to do time,
not to be contaminated,"
former inmate Tina Perez says.
Released July 4, she is still ill, she says.

By STEFANIE FRITH / The Press-Enterprise

Inmates at the California Rehabilitation Center in Norco are placing
tube socks over showerheads to filter debris out of the water. Others say
they have stopped washing their faces to prevent red rashes. Some refuse
to drink the tap water or eat food made in the prison's kitchens.

In the past few months, about 20 inmates have been diagnosed with Helicobacter
pylori, a spiral-shaped bacterium that nestles into the lining of the stomach
and causes bloating, vomiting, diarrhea, nausea and bloody or black stools,
said Dr. Sarv Grover, chief medical officer at CRC. The minimum- to medium-security
prison has been testing for the bacterium for two years and recently sent
a memo to its staff and 4,600 male and female inmates to educate them on
the illness, he said. The memo states that to protect themselves from H.
pylori, they need to have good personal hygiene, eat food that has been
properly prepared and drink water from a safe, clean water source.

If untreated, H. pylori can lead to ulcers and stomach cancers, according
to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"My son takes a sock to filter the water before taking a shower," said
Cleone Merrill, a Sacramento resident whose 41-year-old son is incarcerated
at the prison. "He said the water is so dark, and others are putting socks
up now too."

Some inmates, their family members and prison advocates believe the
symptoms are caused by contaminated water flowing through the prison's
plumbing. Others wonder whether they are the result of unsanitary conditions
in the kitchens, bathrooms and dormitories.

Prison officials say they test the water twice weekly and insist it
is clean. Grover said the inmates' concerns are exaggerated.

Petitions are circulating among inmates' families to force the prison
to take the necessary steps to avoid contamination altogether.

"There are thousands of inmates statewide who are infected with H. pylori,"
said Judy Greenspan, a representative of California Prison Focus, an advocacy
group for inmates. Greenspan specializes in health issues for the organization
and tours prisons on a regular basis.

"I think it's coming from the prison kitchens, and the cells are dirty,"
she said. "The conditions they live in are pretty bad."

Grover said much of the alarm comes from a lack of information. "It's
like when you sit with a group and someone says they have symptoms of something,
then you start to think you have symptoms of that too."

Former inmate Tina Perez, who was released from CRC on July 4 after
serving about one year for child endangerment, said she began showing signs
of H. pylori about four months into her incarceration. The 38-year-old
woman has not been tested but plans to be in the next few weeks, she said.

Perez, who has been staying with friends and family in Buena Park and
Diamond Bar, said she gets sharp, shooting pains in her stomach and has
soft bowel movements.

"We came to prison to do time, not to be contaminated," she said.

Grover said he figures those inmates who do have the bacterium were
infected in childhood, when they didn't wash their hands. He added that
many inmates come from lower socio-economic backgrounds and never received
proper medical care as children.
The prison once relied on well water that, when combined with the institution's
aging plumbing, had a brown color but tested negative for H. pylori.

A year ago, the prison was hooked up to the city of Norco's water system.
Grover said that since that time, he had not seen an increase in the number
of inmate patients coming to him with symptoms of H. pylori.

There might still be some discoloration, but the prison's water is "germ-free,"
he said.

The prison's water is tested twice a week and continues to come back
negative for H. pylori, said Lt. Tim Shirlock, prison spokesman. The water
is also treated with chlorine to keep the pipes free of germs.

"They think, 'Oh, it's bad because it's discolored,' " said Grover.
"But they are not getting sicker because of this water. The water is clean."

On a recent tour of the prison, water in administrative offices, men's
and women's dorms and inmate kitchens ran cloudy and fizzy when first dispensed,
but it became clear after settling inside a plastic bottle.

Many of the restrooms in the men's dormitory were corroding, missing
tiles and had holes in the walls and floors. There was mildew on the walls.
Some pipes were exposed and rusty, and others were covered with green deposits.
The air was musty and humid.

The water in the women's restrooms was also full of bubbles when it
came out of the taps and showerheads and smelled of chlorine.

The facility was built in 1928 as the Lake Norconian Club, a luxury
hotel. It later became a military hospital and was converted into a prison
in 1962. Last year, the state prison began a $50 million dorm-replacement
project, but budget cuts and talk of closing the institution halted the
construction.

Barbara Cole, director of disease control for the Riverside County Department
of Public Health, said her office has received a few complaints about the
water at the prison.

"We are aware there are concerns," Cole said. County officials, however,
are unable to do anything about health concerns at the prison unless prison
officials invite them in to do testing or they are bombarded with complaints,
she added.

Inmate Jesus Velez, a convicted armed robber, said many inmates, upon
incarceration at CRC, develop allergies, rashes, insect and spider bites
and weakened immune systems. The crowded conditions make sanitation difficult,
he said.

"Inmates don't have a choice of where they get to go to prison," said
Lillian Fossa, Perez's aunt. "Yes, you have to lock them up. But you shouldn't
be releasing them with a ... disease."

Prisoners blame sickness on water, officials insist
water's fine

Associated Press

NORCO, Calif. - Prisoners diagnosed with a bacterium that causes ulcers
and cancer blame California Rehabilitation Center water for making them
ill and some inmates are now putting socks over shower heads to filter
debris and refusing to wash to prevent rashes.

In recent months, about 20 inmates have been diagnosed with Helicobacter
pylori, a bacterium that nestles into the lining of the stomach and causes
bloating, vomiting, diarrhea, nausea and bloody stools, prison Dr. Sarv
Grover said.

Prison officials insist the water, tested twice a week, is clean and
Grover claims the inmates are exaggerating.

The minimum- to medium-security prison has been testing for the bacterium
for two years and recently sent a memorandum to its staff and 4,600 male
and female inmates to educate them on the illness, he said.

To protect themselves from H. pylori, they need to have good personal
hygiene, eat food that has been properly prepared and drink water from
a safe, clean water source, the memo stated.

"We came to prison to do time, not to be contaminated," said former
inmate Tina Perez, adding she's still ill since her release a month ago.

"My son takes a sock to filter the water before taking a shower," said
Cleone Merrill, a Sacramento resident whose 41-year-old son is imprisoned
at the Riverside County prison 50 miles southeast of Los Angeles.

"He said the water is so dark, and others are putting socks up now,
too," Merrill said.

Some inmates, family members and others believe contaminated water is
flowing through the prison's plumbing. Others fear unsanitary conditions
in the kitchens, bathrooms and dormitories are to blame.

"There are thousands of inmates statewide who are infected with H. pylori,"
said Judy Greenspan of California Prison Focus, an advocacy group for inmates.
She specializes in health issues and regularly visits prisons.

"I think it's coming from the prison kitchens, and the cells are dirty,"
she said. "The conditions they live in are pretty bad."

Grover said he believes inmates with the bacterium were infected in
childhood.

Studies have shown that Helicobacter pylori can cause gastritis, stomach
ulcers and has been associated with stomach cancer. Scientists believe
as many as half the people in the world are infected.

The prison once relied on well water that, when combined with the institution's
aging plumbing, had a brown color but tested negative for H. pylori. A
year ago, the prison was hooked up to the city of Norco's water system.

Lt. Tim Shirlock, spokesman for the prison, said prison water is tested
twice a week and continues to come back negative for H. pylori. The water
is also treated with chlorine to keep the pipes free of germs.

"They think, 'Oh, it's bad because it's discolored,'" Grover said. "But
they are not getting sicker because of this water. The water is clean."

The family members report medical diagnosis of H Pylori which the prison
is refusing to treat. H Pylori is everywhere inside and outside of
prison and is the bug that causes ulcers. It is typically
found in water and ingested in food.

It requires that TWO antibiotics be administered for a two week period.

I have been told by these families that there is another health risk
located across the street where there is a lake of standing water
swarming with mosquitos. Fontana is the area where the West Nile
Virus epidemic is already in progress.

A call to the Center for Disease Control was made and the officials
there have stated that they are fully aware that the West Nile Virus exists
in the town of Norco via the testing procedures that they
conducted.

Yet nobody has any jurisdiction over this or any other prison!
Not even the health department.

Dead birds are reported on the property and the inmates are sitting
ducks. There are no screens on the cells. The inmates are not
given lemon soap or lemon slices to rub on their skin, nor is
citronella being burned anywhere in the prison to repel the mosquitos,
let alone other repellants.

The inmates have been told that if they complain to anyone about the
h pylori outbreak and refusal to treat that their "lives will be made a
living hell" by Mrs. Cole, one of the prison administrators who has set
herself up to be a tin god apparently.

Having h-pylori is a living hell in itself and there's no excuse for
it when antibiotics are so readily available. And West Nile
Virus is serious and we need to let Mrs. Cole know she is fully in the
light of the humanitarians of the UNION with her evil deeds.

She has apparently already caused the sentence of an inmate who spoke
out to be extended for four years to intimidate everyone. Mrs. Cole
is the administrator in charge of giving the releases to prisoners who
have fully served their sentences. She refuses to process certain prisoners
and without good cause. Needing medical care is an unacceptable excuse
for punishment.

Other guards and counselors are also reported to be threatening inmates
who ask for help.

One reliable source tells me that the inmates put socks over the showerheads
to filter the water because it comes out so black.

This is the water that they are forced to drink.

Maybe if a guard or administrator gets a fatal mosquito bite, something
will be done about spraying the lake across the street.

As you know these cell temperatures are exceeding 90 degrees, dangerous
for those on certain medications that change the way the body handles heat
and puts them all in danger of heat stroke.

Doctor Cole needs to be called on intimidation and denial of medical
care to prisoners
and arbitrarily refusing to process releases thereby extending sentencing.
She is in the mental health department.

(909) 737-2683

The Warden needs to be called and informed that a number of guards and
counselors are threatening inmates who complain or speak out about needing
medical care or about abuses.

JoAnn Gordon, Warden
5th Street & Western
Norco, CA 92860

P.O. Box 1841
Norco, CA 92860-0991
(909) 737-2683

And the Governor needs to be called about this problem, the excessive
heat temperatures and disease conditions at all prisons and anything else
on your mind. When everyone calls in he can see that families of prisoners
are intelligent to organize a voting group capable of picketing.
The
guards and counselors have no business threatening inmates who need
medical care.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
(916) 445-2841

FAX: (916) 445-4633

Why Californians should care that inmates are treated for H Pylori

1) It indicates unsanitary conditions for food and water of the inmates.
2) It can lead to increased risk for stomach cancer.
3) Untreated ulcerations, if they bleed, can lead to death of the inmate
(death by medical neglect)
4) It is easy to treat but TWO antibiotics are needed in a two week
period for treatment.
5) The more run down an inmate the more likely West Nile Virus will
be more fatal.

What is a Helicobacter Pylori?Helicobacter pylori, (pronounced HELI-co-back-ter
pie-Lorrie) also called H. pylori is a spiral shaped bacterium. It lives
in the stomach and duodenum.

The duodenum is the section of intestine just below stomach. Helicobacter
pylori has a unique way of adapting in the harsh environment of the stomach.
It protects itself by covering itself with the mucus of the stomach.

Once it is covered with mucus, it is able to fight the stomach
acid that does reach it with an enzyme it possesses called urease.Because
of its spiral shape and the way it moves, H. pylori can penetrate the protective
lining of the stomach.

When it penetrates the stomach, excess acid can irritate the stomach
and duodenum (pronounced Doo-o-DEE-num) eventually causing an ulcer. When
an ulcer has healed, it is likely to come back within a year. When H. pylori
is completely eliminated from the digestive tract, the chances that the
ulcer will return are greatly reduced.

H. pylori can cause chronic and severe inflammation of the stomach,
wasting away of the stomach's mucous layer. People with H. pylori are morel
likely to develop gastric cancer than people who are not affected with
H. pylori.

What can you do to prevent H. pylori infection? The source of H. pylori
is not yet known. However, it is always wise for persons to wash hands
thoroughly, to eat food that has been properly prepared, and to drink water
from a safe, clean source. These methods may help you from getting a H.
pylori infection.

For more information about Helicobacter Pylori, visit The "Helicobacter
Foundation".--------FDA approved treatment options for H. Pylori

H Pylori is everywhere. The symptoms are miserable with heartburn,
gas, dying rear, strong reaction to certain foods and only antibiotics
can kill this bug. You feel terrible all the time and
think you have GERD or something life threatening. And it certainly
can go that direction!

A simple blood test identifies it. Some of the inmates have
tested positive for it at Norco. So where's the treatment?

Your calls to inquire about this situation will save lives.

At CIW Dr. Long is in charge. The water at CIW has been known for years
to contain Coloform, a bacteria from animal waste.They drink bottled water
but do shower and bath in this water.Lisa had a rash for weeks after she
arrived but that has gone away now. No doubt many other prisons such as
VSPW have the same problem being surrounded by farmland and animals. Frank

Cayenne

This is the boss over Dr. Cole, that tin god at CRC Norco holding up
releases. Let's add this number to our people to complain to about what
she is doing or the dysfunction of ANY mental health doctor in the system.
Let's complain to their bosses and everybody else allowing these terrible
conditions Complaints are necessary.

Tim Fishbach
916-324-5236

916-327-2476

Cayenne,

My Mother was able to visit Norco and brought back
some information regarding the neglect the inmates at Norco are enduring.

Here are a few names of inmates suffering from H-Pyori
are so far as follows

There are many many more but there were only spare
minutes to get that information without being overheard as the guards were
paying more attention than usual.

The names of guards that are threatening the inmates
are as follows;

Lt. Holt, Officer P. Clark, Officer Dodson and CCl Spigner.
Spigner is the officer in charge of filing the releases
of inmates.

The psychiatrist on site, Dr. Cole, receives
recommendations for prescriptions from the psychologist and there is now
a power trip going on between the two regarding who has the bigger degree
so the Psychiatrist refuses all recommendations that the psychologist gives.

There is a class action 602 with 200 inmate signatures sitting
on the desk of Captain Johnston being ignored regarding the H-Pyori outbreak

The Dr's and medical staff that are refusing to treat inmates are as
follows;

Dr. Toochinda

MTA Martin,

Washington LVN/RN?

Dr. Cole (As we already know.) "Also has power to extend sentences and
make recommendations"

My loved one is very sick has put in request after
request to be rechecked for the H-Pyori symptoms that are getting
worse and since has being diagnosed positive for the disease they have
refused the requests to be seen altogether.

Three people had made a 602 complaint about
guards conduct and those three inmates are being retained where the
rest of the group has already been released.

This information can be confirmed by contacting: xxxxxxxxxxx

One officer has approached female inmates in a sexual
manner on many occasions yet the inmates are afraid to speak out as they
have already seen what happens when complaints are made. There is more
to be said about this particular officer but because the things he has
done can be pinpointed to one inmate. She refuses details at this
time out of fear.

The water in the vistors area is clear yet the inmates
water is black and there is no way to get that water to have it tested,
however, My Mother did get a sample of the visitor water to test just to
be sure it is not also contaminated.

The food that the prison lists on the inmates weekly
menu is not what is actually served. The inmates are served what is supposed
to be chicken (the inmates call it mystery meat.) five times per week without
fail.

We are making every effort to get the families of
the stricken inmates to contact you and/or Stefan Frith of the Riverside
Press Enterprise realizing the lives depend on getting this crisis out
to
the public.

The people whose loved ones are at other prisons
are making a big difference in the lives of those at Norco and we
will return the favor by participating in future calls to action.

Norco Family Member

Dear Family Member:

There are no rescuers except ourselves through the power badger evil
people such as Dr. Cole whose ego is obviously more important than the
justice, to file lawsuits, do protests and recall the bums responsible
for allowing all this inhumanity.

The 602 process is a huge joke. At most prisons these are simply
thrown in the trash with no action taken except that which would favor
the guards. We file 602's for the purpose of future lawsuits and to create
a paper trail only.

I have called the Warden - no response yet but she clearly has the message.
I suggest you write a letter to her and ask the Press Enterprise to publish
it so that the entire community is alert of the
H Pylori and West Nile Virus threat to already weakened people.

We must not be silent in this situation. Silence is deadly and
it empowers the administrators and guards with our permission to torture
and murder by medical neglect with no consequences. Taking no action
is an action.

We will resume our Call to Action tomorrow. As of Friday, no one
was answering the phones at the prison. Let's all call OSHA, Dr.
Cole's Boss Tim Fishbach, the Federal Center for Disease Control and raise
hell tomorrow when offices are open.

The families of Norco can certainly help to do that work even if they
use their maiden names. Diease epidemics and filthy conditions exist
at every prison because we allow it with our silence.

As West Nile Virus travels up the the State, we will see all the inmates
endangered as CDC cannot do one thing right. Whatever we achieve by sounding
the alarm at Norco will set the standard for how this danger will be
handled elsewhere.

I hope to see all the Norco families at the RALLY, standing up for prisoners.
All for one, one for all in the UNION. Without you, this news story
wouldn't be possible and the inmates would just be left to suffer in silence.
Horrible situation that the humanitarian citizens of the UNION must not
allow to exist.

Cayenne

July 26, 2004

Just got back from Norco

New news. The prison has hired people to clean up
the grounds. So that there are no dead birds laying anywhere. Which is
a good thing. They are cleaning up EVERYTHING!

I am not sure if Stefanie Frith was the reporter
on site on Tuesday at 9:42 am in unit 404 with the Hoover Commision but
they did a surprise inspection and they missed everything important due
to the fact that the prison knew about the "Surprise".

All of the inmates were told in advance to "stay
quiet or else!" As a matter of fact if it was Stefanie tell her that the
woman she asked "What was that?" to in 404 adjacent to the bathroom/showers
got into a lot of trouble for speaking up about the water on her floor
puddling in her cell every morning and commenting about the walls deteriorating.

Most all of the sick inmates are being shipped out
to other facilities in California.

Promises had been made by the counselors the day
that the reporter and Hoover Commission were there promising that all of
the inmates who need to see the Dr. will be seen within 24 hours. This
has not happened!

The mail room at the prison is sending mail back
to sender's saying person no longer there and the prisoner's are not getting
their mail because of this.

Catherine Sprigner has been causing hold up's in
releases for inmates in unit 404 at will when inmates file 602's. Guards
protect guards.

Female Officer P. Clark who works in unit 404 physically
assaults the inmates causing injuries and does not have to answer for her
actions. Officer P. Clark has worked at the prison for a very long time
and does as she pleases.

An Inmate named XXXXXXXXXX (journalists write me for this
name) witnessed an assault on an inmate by P. Clark and the assault was
videotaped. The assaulted inmate was immediately shipped out after the
assault.

Officer Nace, Officer Lopez and all other male guards
are sexually harrassing the female inmates and nothing has been done to
stop it.